


come find me in the afterglow

by RPFTrashAccount



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Amy is mentioned but doesn't appear, Background Poly, Blow Jobs, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, nsfw in chapter 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:15:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RPFTrashAccount/pseuds/RPFTrashAccount
Summary: Ethan felt suspended in time, between the end of an era and what came next. This moment - this night - felt like it existed outside time and space. For now, the world had shrunk down to just the two of them, sitting in melancholy silence in his dimly-lit bedroom.-Mark & Ethan delete Unus Annus.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor
Comments: 31
Kudos: 347





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We all deal with the impending end of Unus Annus differently; some of us write 4k words of Crankiplier fic despite not having written RPF in, like, 10 years.

"This is it, huh?" Ethan said. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, his laptop open to the settings page of Unus Annus. Mark was sitting next to him, eyes fixed on the screen as Ethan hovered over the _Delete_ button.

"Yeah," Mark said softly. "This is it."

They'd made a pact: after they deleted the channel, they weren't going to do anything else for the rest of the night. No social media, no working, no streaming - it was partly a reward, but partly to give them time to process the emotions that were sure to follow. Tomorrow they were going to have a more joyful celebration with Amy, but tonight was a somber occasion, and it was just the two of them.

"Ready?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah."

"Want to do the honors together?"

"Yeah, okay." Mark reached for the trackpad, placing his finger on the mouse button next to Ethan's. "Three... two... one..."

They pressed the button together. A warning asked if they were sure they wanted to delete the channel and all of its contents. Ethan guided the cursor to the _Yes_ button, and they clicked again.

Then the channel was gone.

As much as Ethan had prepared himself for this moment, he still felt a little like he'd been punched in the stomach. He set the laptop aside and let out a deep breath that he hadn't even realized he was holding.

"We did it," Mark said quietly.

"Yeah." Ethan could feel his eyes welling up, just a little. He rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands; it felt a little silly to be tearing up over this when he'd known the ending was coming all along, but he couldn't help it.

Mark turned to look at him. The sun had set a couple of hours ago, and the only light in the room came from the still-open laptop screen, but Ethan could see that Mark's eyes were a little watery, too.

Mark smiled at him through it, all softness and reassurance. "Hey, come here," he said, putting an arm around Ethan's shoulder and tugging him close. He was warm and solid. Ethan was grateful for the comfort. Their friendship wasn't an overly physical one, at least not like this - they horsed around plenty, and there was the occasional quick hug - but right now, this felt natural.

If anyone understood how he felt right now, of course, it was Mark.

Ethan let his head drop onto Mark's shoulder.

"What do we do now?"

Mark chuckled softly. Ethan felt his shoulder rise and fall with the vibrations of it. "Whatever we want," he said.

Right now, Ethan just wanted to sit here. He let his eyes close, breathing in deeply.

They were both silent. Mark let his arm drop from around Ethan's shoulders, curling around his lower back instead, hand resting on his waist. It made it more comfortable for Ethan to keep his head on Mark's shoulder, and he shifted a little closer. They were, he realized, basically cuddling at this point. Ethan found that he didn't mind. Mark didn't seem to either. He let his cheek rest against the top of Ethan's head, and Ethan could just barely feel the scratchiness of Mark's stubble through his hair.

Ethan was glad Mark didn't try to fill the silence. They'd talked plenty about this moment in the weeks leading up to it; they'd said all that needed to be said. To say any of it again - how proud they were, how sad they were, how much they'd liked working together like this, how much they'd both grown as creators and as people - would feel pointless. Maybe they'd say some of it again tomorrow, but right now, they didn't need to. Ethan didn't want to.

There was one thing he wanted to ask, though.

"Doesn't feel real, does it?" he whispered.

"No," Mark agreed. "Feels like we're... I don't know, in limbo."

Ethan knew exactly what he meant. He felt suspended in time, between the end of an era and what came next. This moment - this night - felt like it existed outside time and space. For now, the world had shrunk down to just the two of them, sitting in melancholy silence in his dimly-lit bedroom.

Mark slipped his thumb just underneath the hem of Ethan's t-shirt, running it along the bare skin of his waist. The touch was light, probably absent-minded, but Ethan had to stop himself from shivering. It felt… intimate. Which was silly, maybe, since they were already cuddling, but the soft, slow strokes felt like electricity against his skin; like each pass of his thumb was chipping away at a wall Ethan had built inside himself.

He wondered if Mark could feel how hard his heart was pounding all of a sudden. If he could, he didn't say anything about it. Ethan was grateful. He hesitated for a minute or two, then put a hand on Mark's thigh, just above his knee.

He didn't know what was making him so bold. Maybe it was Mark's touches, or the darkened room; maybe it was the dreamlike quality of this night, making him feel safe and reckless all at once.

He turned his head, letting his face press into the curve where Mark's shoulder met his neck. Mark didn't react, didn't say anything, didn't move - except for the gentle slide of his thumb against Ethan's skin. Ethan realized he was holding his breath, and he let it out shakily as he tilted his head up, letting the tip of his nose graze the skin just below Mark's ear.

Mark's breath hitched, just a little. He turned his face to meet Ethan's, their eyes slipping shut and noses sliding against one another until they found the right angle; and then they were kissing.

The kiss was everything all at once: tentative and gentle and exhilarating and blissful and terrifying, like free-falling while standing on solid ground. Mark brought his hand up to cup the side of Ethan's face, pulling him in deeper, the barest hint of teeth grazing Ethan's lower lip.

It was everything Ethan had never let himself think about. He'd discovered, a long time ago, that he had a crush on Mark, but he'd carefully locked those feelings away, not even letting himself daydream about acting on it. He had been happy being friends; more than happy. Letting himself want anything more would have just been setting himself up for a disappointment that would turn their friendship bittersweet, or maybe even sour.

Even when Mark flirted with him on camera, even when he'd told Ethan privately that he and Amy were experimenting with the option of an open relationship - Ethan had never let himself hope.

Now, it was like the walls were crumbling. All the feelings - the hope, the wanting, a _need_ he hadn't even known he felt until now - were spilling through, and he didn't _care_. He was _allowed_ to want this.

Mark's tongue slid against Ethan's lower lip, still cautious; Ethan chased it with his own, pressing into Mark's mouth, and Mark made a soft noise that sent sparks shooting up Ethan's spine.

Then he was pulling away, pressing one more soft kiss to Ethan's lips as he went. Ethan opened his eyes hazily. His heart was still trying to pound its way out of his ribcage, and his face felt hot. If the red flush on Mark's cheeks was anything to go by, he seemed to be feeling the same.

"Um," Mark said softly, giving Ethan a small, tentative smile. "I hope that was okay. The fact that I kissed you, I mean."

Ethan laughed, a breathless giggle that felt like bubbles rising in his chest. "Of course it was fucking okay, Mark, _Jesus_. Did you think I was sticking my tongue in your mouth just to be polite?"

"You never know!" Mark said, elbowing Ethan's side gently. He was laughing too, smiling so wide that the corners of his eyes crinkled. He was beautiful, Ethan thought, and he pressed his forehead to Mark's.

"Kiss me again, dumbass," he said softly, still smiling.

Mark did.


	2. Chapter 2

When Mark kissed him again, it was with a new-found urgency. The kiss was deeper, less tentative, open-mouthed and hungry. Their tongues slid together eagerly, in sync like they'd done this a hundred times; just another iteration of the almost-telepathic chemistry they shared.

"Fuck," Ethan breathed between kisses. "Fuck, Mark, we're really good at this."

"Yeah," Mark replied, pausing just long enough to take Ethan's bottom lip between his teeth and tug gently. "Are you surprised?"

"Not really," Ethan said, huffing out a laugh. He pulled Mark back into the kiss, tangling one hand in Mark's hair. It was so long now, fuck. It looked good, _really_ good.

"You're so hot," he murmured against Mark's lips, hardly aware of what he was saying.

Mark's voice was low and rough when he replied, "Look who's talking." He wrapped an arm around Ethan's waist, pulling him into his lap. Ethan giggled as he fought to keep his balance, finally settling chest-to-chest with Mark, straddling his thighs. Mark's hands slid down Ethan's waist, and Ethan had to bite his lip to stifle a groan when Mark reached down to grab his ass, squeezing it through his sweatpants.

"This _ass_ ," Mark continued breathlessly. "Do you have any idea how much of this year I've spent staring at it? It was like fucking _torture."_ He grinned, and his smile was infectious.

"Hey," Ethan said, laughing, "I'm more than just a _sweet, gorgeous ass_ , you know."

Mark's expression softened. "I know," he murmured, one hand coming up to cup Ethan's face. "Every part of you is gorgeous."

Ethan felt caught off guard somehow, still, even after everything that had happened tonight. He kissed Mark again, pouring as much emotion as he could into it, and hoped that it would convey everything he didn't know how to say.

Mark reached for the hem of Ethan's shirt, tugging it upwards.

"This okay?" he murmured against Ethan's lips.

"More than okay." Ethan leaned back, raising his arms so Mark could pull the shirt up and over his head. It landed on the floor somewhere with a quiet thump. Ethan slid his hands under Mark's t-shirt, sliding it up and off as well. He'd seen Mark shirtless too many times to count, but it felt different now that he could really take his time to look and appreciate. He ran his hands over Mark's chest, brushing the pads of his thumbs over his nipples, watching with something like awe as they hardened under his touch. "Fuck, I can't believe we're really doing this."

Mark smiled. "Feels kind of inevitable, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Ethan breathed. "It kinda does." Looking back, he could see the signs; maybe he'd have seen them sooner if he'd let himself look.

It didn't matter now. What mattered was that they were finally here.

Feeling their bare torsos press together when Mark yanked him closer for another kiss was incredible. Ethan felt like his skin was on fire where it met Mark's; his dick was rapidly growing from a half-chub to a full-on raging boner. There was no way Mark couldn't feel it through his sweatpants, not when they were pressed this close together.

"Fuck, Ethan," Mark groaned under his breath. He slid one hand between them, cupping the hard ridge of Ethan's cock through his pants, and Ethan almost moaned aloud, because Mark, fucking _Mark_ , was touching his _dick_ and looking at him like it was the hottest thing he'd ever _seen_.

Ethan rolled his hips into the touch, just once, exhaling sharply at the friction; then Mark was pulling down the front of Ethan's pants and boxers in one smooth movement and wrapping his hand around the bare skin of Ethan's cock.

"Oh fuck," Ethan breathed. It felt good, way too good; like he was a teenager again, getting a handjob for the first time. He might've been embarrassed, except Mark looked completely and utterly turned on, and Ethan hadn't even _touched_ him yet.

"Hold on," he said, shifting in Mark's lap. He moved back a little, reaching down between them and pressing his palm against the bulge in the front of Mark's jeans. Mark was just as hard as he was, and his breathing hitched as Ethan palmed his cock through the denim. It was clumsy, a little awkward, but Mark rocked up into the touch and groaned.

"This good?" Ethan asked breathlessly, and Mark nodded.

"Yeah, it's good, really fucking good." He pulled Ethan back in for a messy kiss, jerking him off in long, slow strokes. Ethan moaned into the kiss, sliding his tongue against Mark's as he matched his rhythm with the slide and press of his hand. Mark's grip was tight around him, just the right amount of pressure, and he couldn't help bucking his hips up into the touch.

Mark broke the kiss, rolling Ethan's bottom lip gently between his teeth as he pulled away. Ethan whined in protest, but then Mark was kissing along his jawline and down to his neck, pausing just above his collarbone and sucking at the skin there. Ethan gasped at the sharp dig of teeth, immediately soothed with a soft lick afterwards; he was almost sure it would leave a bruise. There was something immensely hot about the thought; he had a sudden mental image of accidentally pulling his shirt collar down while streaming, followed by the chat exploding with people pointing out the hickey. His cock twitched in Mark's hand, and Mark's groan vibrated against the base of his throat.

"Nnnggghh, oh god, Jesus fucking Christ, _Mark_." Ethan knew he was being loud, spilling out a stream of wordless moans and curses, but he couldn't stop himself; couldn't even feel embarrassed, really, not when Mark uttered a low moan every time his name slipped into the mix. Ethan wanted to hear Mark moan like that as often as humanly fucking possible.

Mark was rocking up against Ethan's palm now, and it suddenly wasn't _enough_ \- Ethan wanted to get his hands on Mark's dick without clothes in the way, wanted to - _fuck_ , he wanted it in his _mouth_. The thought had heat coiling in the pit of his stomach.

"Fuck, Mark - stop -"

Mark pulled back immediately, hand stilling as his eyes searched Ethan's face. "You okay?" The concern in his voice made Ethan's heart melt a little.

"Yeah, I'm fine - you're good, don't worry. It's just, uh, if you don't stop, I'm gonna come, like, _right the fuck now_."

"Oh," Mark said, and then, voice low, " _Oh_." He swiped his thumb over the head of Ethan's cock, and Ethan _whined_. "Kinda wanna make you come, though."

Ethan shook his head. "Not yet," he said breathlessly, gently pulling Mark's hand away. "You first." He slid off of Mark's lap, settling on his knees on the floor in front of him and gently nudging his legs apart.

"Oh _fuck_ ," Mark groaned. His face was flushed, lips parted and kiss-swollen. He looked fucking incredible. Ethan wanted to do this so badly it almost hurt.

He stroked Mark's cock through the straining denim one more time, prompting an involuntary twitch of his hips, then he reached for the button of Mark's jeans. He undid them with fumbling fingers, and Mark lifted his hips so Ethan could slide them down and off.

Mark's dick looked incredible silhouetted through his boxer-briefs, a wet patch of precome visible where the head pressed insistently against the fabric. Ethan leaned in and pressed his mouth to it, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses from base to tip.

"Ethan, holy shit," Mark gasped, and Ethan felt it twitch against his lips. He pulled back, eagerly sliding Mark's underwear off and tossing them aside.

Mark's cock bobbed invitingly between his legs, average in length but so _thick_ , the head flushed a dark pink and glistening with precome. Ethan wrapped his hand around it experimentally, giving it a few quick pumps, and Mark groaned. Encouraged, Ethan leaned in and dragged his tongue up the shaft, then wrapped his lips around the head.

Ethan had never sucked a dick before - never even _touched_ a dick other than his own - but he knew what felt good on the receiving end, and he hoped he'd be able to emulate it. Based on the way Mark bucked up into his mouth, he thought he was off to a pretty good start.

He relaxed his jaw, letting himself sink down further around the shaft. He was surprised how much he liked the feeling of having his mouth stretched full like this. The taste of the precome wasn't even bad; a little salty, a little bitter, but mild. He bobbed his head experimentally, letting Mark's cock slide in and out wetly, and Mark moaned.

"Yeah, just like that, oh my god."

Ethan's dick throbbed at the praise. He slid the flat of his tongue along the shaft, flicked it against the head as he pulled back, twisted his wrist at the base. It was easy to fall into a rhythm, urged on by Mark's little gasps whenever he did something that felt particularly good. He tilted his head up, locking eyes with Mark as he gave a hard suck. Mark looked fucking wrecked, and Ethan felt a glow of pride.

"Oh my god, Ethan," Mark whispered, brushing Ethan's hair away from his face. "You look so good like this. So fucking good."

Ethan hummed around his cock in response, and Mark moaned again, eyes squeezing shut.

"I'm not gonna last long," he said, voice rough. "You're really - fuck - really fucking good at this, _shit_."

Ethan closed his eyes and took him in deeper, aware that spit was leaking from the corners of his mouth but not particularly caring, not when Mark was making fucking incredible noises and clutching at Ethan's hair like he might float away if he let go.

"Gonna come, _Ethan_ -"

Ethan bobbed his head a few more times, pressing his tongue just below the ridge of the head, and Mark gave a muffled cry as his cock pulsed, spilling hot, bitter come into Ethan's mouth.

Ethan waited for the aftershocks to pass, then pulled off carefully, making sure not to let any of the come spill from his mouth. He waited until Mark made eye contact with him before swallowing it all.

"Holy fuck," Mark said.

Ethan couldn't help it; he smirked, resting his chin on Mark's knee. "So, I did alright, then?"

Mark laughed weakly. "You're fucking dangerous, you know that?"

Ethan shook his head, grinning. "You're one to talk."

Mark reached his hand out, and Ethan took it, letting Mark help him to his feet.

''Come here," Mark said, pulling him closer. He tugged Ethan's pants and underwear the rest of the way down, and Ethan kicked them to the side. Mark pulled him down for another kiss, deep and messy, and Ethan wondered if he could taste himself on Ethan's tongue. His cock twitched at the thought, and fuck, he was still _really fucking hard_. He reached down to stroke himself, but Mark pushed his hand away.

"No way," Mark said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "My turn."

Before Ethan could even begin to form a reply to that, Mark wrapped his arms around his waist and stood suddenly, flipping them both around and all but throwing Ethan down on the bed. Ethan gave a surprised yelp of laughter as he landed on his back, bouncing slightly, and okay, fuck, there was also something _incredibly hot_ about Mark having the strength to throw him around like that.

Mark was smirking as he crawled on top of him, catching Ethan's wrists and pinning them above his head as he kissed him. And that - that was _mind-meltingly sexy_ , even though his grip was light enough that Ethan could easily break free if he wanted to.

The words _"fuck me"_ almost slipped out, actually might have if his mouth wasn't currently full of Mark's tongue, but of course he could feel Mark's cock softening against his thigh after coming, and he didn't have any lube or condoms right now, and maybe that was too much for their first time anyway - but he _wanted_ to, and that realization sent a whole new wave of arousal through his body.

_Next time,_ he thought, and groaned as he rubbed his cock insistently against Mark's hip.

Then Mark was breaking the kiss and sliding down the bed, laying kisses along Ethan's body as he went, and sliding his tongue over the head of Ethan's dick.

"Oh fuck, Mark," Ethan gasped, and Mark looked up at him with hazy eyes, taking Ethan's dick in hand and sliding his mouth down over it.

Ethan whimpered. It felt so good - so warm and wet, and fuck, he hadn't gotten a blowjob in a _while_ -

"I'm gonna come so fast," he blurted out, feeling a blush rise on his cheeks, but Mark just closed his eyes and took him in deeper, deep enough that Ethan felt the head of his cock bump against the back of his _throat_ , and then Mark _swallowed_ around him and it was all over.

Ethan nearly shouted as he came, squeezing his eyes shut as stars erupted behind his eyelids, only half-aware of his fingers tangling in the sheets on either side of him. It took all of the willpower he had to keep his hips firmly on the bed and not thrust up into the tight heat of Mark's throat as the waves of pleasure ripped through him.

When the aftershocks subsided, he blinked his eyes open just in time to see Mark pull off and swallow, followed by a sharp cough. "Fuck, I think I got come up my nose somehow."

Ethan blushed, sitting up to rub a hand across Mark's back. "Sorry, man. You okay?"

"Yeah," Mark said, grinning sheepishly. His voice was a little hoarse. "I think I was a little over-ambitious for my first time giving a blowjob, though."

"You didn't have to deep-throat me," Ethan said, shaking his head incredulously. He could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Was it good, though?" Mark asked.

"Well, _yeah_ -"

"Worth it, then."

Ethan kissed him, long and slow. He found that he didn't want to stop, not now that he knew he could _have this_.

Mark was the one who broke the kiss, laughing softly as Ethan whined and tried to pull him back in.

"I don't know what your recovery time is like, dude, but I'm gonna need a while before I can go again," he said, teasing.

"Shut up," Ethan giggled, shoving Mark's shoulder playfully. "I just like kissing you, okay?"

Mark smiled. "Feeling's mutual." He shifted, pulling back the covers of Ethan's bed. "Um, I don't know about you, but I really like cuddling after sex, if you wanna...?"

Ethan grinned, sliding under the blanket with him. "You're going to regret offering. I'm like a fucking octopus." He wrapped his arms around Mark's waist and tangled their legs together to illustrate his point, nuzzling into the curve of his neck.

Mark laughed, wrapping an arm around him. "You're so cute," he said. Ethan pressed his face deeper into Mark's neck to hide the blush he felt warming his cheeks.

They were both silent for a little while. Ethan could feel himself starting to drift off, lulled by the warmth of Mark's skin and the steady rhythm of his breathing.

Before he could fall asleep entirely, Mark nudged him. "Hey."

"Mhmmm?"

"I can stay over tonight, if that's - y'know, if that's something you'd like." There was a hesitancy in Mark's tone, like even after all of this, he thought Ethan might say no.

"Of course I want you to stay," Ethan said. He couldn't think of anything he wanted more in this particular moment.

"Let me just text Amy and let her know I won't be home," Mark murmured. He disentangled himself from Ethan's limbs and reaching for his phone where it sat on the nightstand.

Ethan propped himself up on one elbow, looking over at him. "Are you going to tell her that we...?"

Mark shook his head. "Not tonight. I was thinking maybe we could all talk about it tomorrow when we see each other." He grinned sheepishly, looking up from his phone. "She's, uh, probably going to put two and two together, though. I told her before I left earlier that I was thinking of maybe kissing you tonight."

"Oh," Ethan said, and something warm swelled in his chest. It felt good, knowing that he had Amy's approval - and knowing that Mark had wanted this enough to talk to her about it beforehand.

Mark set his phone back down on the nightstand, laying down on his back and pulling Ethan close again. Ethan laid his head on Mark's chest, closing his eyes. He could hear Mark's heartbeat, pounding a little harder than it should be. He thought again of the hint of nervousness in Mark's voice when he asked if Ethan wanted him to stay over. He masked it well enough that most people probably wouldn't even have heard it, but Ethan wasn't most people, not after spending almost every day with Mark this year. He was pretty sure he knew him better than anyone did at this point, except for Amy.

So Ethan took Mark's hand, lacing their fingers together, and said, "Mark?"

Mark squeezed his hand, heart still pounding. "Yeah?"

Ethan took a deep breath. "Cards on the table or whatever: I really like you. Like, a lot. I think I know you pretty well at this point, and I think we're on the same page, but I just wanted to tell you that."

"Thanks," Mark said softly. "I like you a lot, too. I don't... I don't want this to be a one-time thing. You know, cards on the table or whatever."

Ethan squeezed Mark's hand again. "Me neither." He felt Mark's heartbeat calm down, just a little.

Mark pressed a kiss to Ethan's forehead and ruffled his hair with his free hand. "So," he said softly, echoing Ethan's question from earlier, "what do we do now?"

Ethan looked up at him, thinking about the world of possibilities that lay ahead of them.

"Whatever we want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright,  
> We can go all night,  
> 'Cause we've got a whole lot of fight in us;  
> And I see a long road  
> That we gotta follow,  
> Before tomorrow catches up.
> 
> When the lights go down,  
> Come find me in the afterglow.  
> Waiting to be found,  
> I'll meet you in the afterglow.


End file.
